STOP CHEERING THE CHINESE! THEY DONT GIVE A **IT ABOUT YOU! WE HAVE NO FRIENDS! [Mhenga John Henrik Clarke] CHINESE IN NANJING HOLD RACIST RALLY By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF, Special to the New York Times Published: December 27, 1988 Thousands of Chinese workers and students marched through the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing today, shouting an extraordinary combination of racist and democratic slogans, after two days of clashes with African students studying in the city. The apparently spontaneous demonstrations, which included a sit-in today by several thousand people in front of the provincial headquarters, appeared to be the most significant sign of unrest in China since student demonstrations were crushed by the Government nearly two years ago. The weekend clashes, in which mobs of Chinese attacked the African students dormitories and destroyed their possessions, also were the most significant sign so far of the racial tensions between Chinese and Africans that contradict Chinas slogans of third-world camaraderie. Insults Shouted Some of demonstrators today called for more democracy and for equal treatment under the law for both foreigners and Chinese, Westerners in Nanjing said, but mostly they chanted slogans like Down with blacks! and Black devils! Their attitude was just, Get the blacks, said James A. Anderson, a 25-year-old American student at the Hopkins Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies, a joint program with Johns Hopkins University. In telephone conversations, Mr. Anderson and other American students, who are white, described their fright this afternoon when a mob pounded on the gates to their institute after being told that blacks were inside. When institute officials told the crowd that there were no blacks there, the mob left for the train station, to which some 140 African and dark-complexioned Asian students had fled after their dormitories were attacked. While China has emphasized its good relations with other poor nations and has invited many Africans to study on scholarships, the Africans frequently complain of racism, and several disputes have broken out in recent years. A serious clash was reported in Tianjin in May 1986, when hundreds of Chinese students besieged Africans in a dormitory. Other incidents were reported that year in Beijing and Shanghai. Many Chinese students apparently resent the benefits that African students enjoy as foreigners, such as larger scholarships and better housing. African students have a room to themselves, while Chinese at Hehai University, where the weekend fracas began, are housed eight to a room. Some Chinese also appear upset when the African students, who are overwhelmingly male, date Chinese women. The clashes began on Saturday when Hehai University held a student dance, and officials requested to see identification cards of those who entered. The official New China News Agency reported today that two African men with Chinese dates refused to show identification, and that after a dispute other Africans began attacking Chinese with iron bars, bottles and rocks. Eleven Chinese university employees were injured, one seriously, and two Africans were slightly injured in the melee, the official account said. African Version of Events But James L. Glucksman, a 24-year-old American student at the Hopkins Nanjing University Center, said the Africans with whom he spoke reported that the fighting began differently. According to their version, security guards at Hehai Universitys gate kept out a group of people who did not have identification, but finally admitted one Ghanaian student who also lacked his student card. The Chinese protested that this was unfair and began to beat the Ghanaian, who called for help from his friends, according to the African students version. In any case, the dispute degenerated into stone-throwing and fist-fighting that lasted from about 9 P.M. until 4 A.M., Mr. Glucksman and others said. Then on Sunday afternoon, a crowd of Chinese gathered again. According to the official report, they marched on the streets chanting Punish assailants! According to Mr. Glucksman and Mr. Anderson, they also attacked the African students dormitories, destroying television sets, furniture and everything else they could find. Some people were injured, Mr. Glucksman said, but it was not clear how many or how seriously. The African students, along with a small number of Nepalese and Pakistanis who were mistaken for Africans and also attacked, then left for the train station under police escort, arriving at about 5 P.M. on Sunday. They were joined by others, until at least 143 were waiting at the station today, hoping to get a train to Beijing. The New China News Agency reported late tonight that local officials had persuaded the African students to leave the train station and return to their dormitories. Map of China highlighting Nanjing (pg. A5) nytimes/1988/12/27/world/chinese-in-nanjing-hold-racist-rally.htmlnytimes/1988/12/27/world/chinese-in-nanjing-hold-racist-rally.html
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 09:44:31 +0000